FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to selective removal of organically bound sulfur from carbonaceous materials while maintaining the calorific value of the carbonaceous materials. Useful in the process of this invention are membrane fragnents and enzymes from membrane fragments extracted from microorganisms, the membrane fragments and enzymes having the ability of selective cleavage of organic C--S bonds, such as from microorganisms Rhodococcus rhodochrous and Bacillus sphaericus and their derivatives. Particularly preferred are bacterial produced membrane extracts and enzymes of Rhodococcus rhodochrous ATCC No. 53968 and Bacillus sphaericus ATCC No. 53969. The process of this invention is particularly useful in removal of organic sulfur from fossil fuels, such as sulfur-containing coal and oils.